Yogurt May Not Be That Good for Your Health After All

Is yogurt really that overrated? Its proponents will tell you that it’s rich in nutrients and probiotics, and that it’s a must-have food on almost every healthy and nutritious meal plan. It has also been mentioned as a natural way of dealing with a lot of common health issues. But new research from Spain seemingly proves otherwise.

The study from the Autonomous University of Madrid shows that people who eat yogurt on a regular basis weren’t more likely or less likely to suffer from diseases or disabilities. A total of 4,445 Spanish adults were covered by the survey over a span of three and a half years, and the researchers weren’t able to see any connection between their yogurt consumption and an improved health-related quality of life and physical condition. Results of the survey were published this week on the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“The regular consumption of yogurt was not linked to health-related quality of life,” said study lead Esther Lopez-Garcia. “For future research more specific instruments must be used which may increase the probability of finding a potential benefit of this food.”

Lopez-Garcia’s team also wasn’t able to find a connection between yogurt consumption and health for individuals who eat a Mediterranean diet and don’t smoke, debunking the theory that vice consumption and unhealthy lifestyles might negate the perceived benefits of yogurt. “In comparison with people that did not eat yogurt, those who ate this dairy product regularly did not display any significant improvement in their score on the physical component of quality of life, and although there was a slight improvement mentally, this was not statistically significant,” she said.